To properly cultivate container grown plants, it is necessary to insure that they obtain adequate amounts of both light and water without having an excess of either. In particular, excess water can cause oversaturation of the soil which may cause the root system to rot and/or become very susceptible to disease. In addition to preventing oversaturation of the soil, it is also necessary to prevent buildup of undesirable sediments in the soil. When plants are allowed to grow in their natural environment, these sediments are normally "flushed" from the soil by natural processes and, therefore, are naturally prevented from building up. Since container grown plants are confined to a small environment, it is necessary to periodically flush sediments and the like out of the soil.
Present plant containers provide orifices in the bottom thereof to allow excess water to drain therefrom. Normally a tray is disposed under the bottom of the container to catch this excess water and allow it to either evaporate off or to "wick" back into the soil as the need arises. However, the sediments that are flushed out of the soil into this reservoir tray are also wicked back up into the soil, thus allowing the sediments to build up over time. In order to remove these sediments, it is necessary to remove the tray from the container and then saturate the soil. This can be a very timely procedure when utilized in a commercial nursery operation.
In view of the above disadvantages, there exists a need for a plant container having the capability to both prevent overwatering and allow for flushing out of the sediments contained in the soil on a periodic basis.